Landing cradle



May 2, 1933. L 1 TETLQW 1,906,922

LANDING CRADLE Filed April 29, 1930 27.5 Q5 7 .50 yzzf gz Patented May 2, 1933 PATENT GFI-TICE LEWISl J'. TETLOW, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS n i LANDING CRADLE Application led April 29,

This invention relates to airplanes and has for its principal object the provision of a landing cradle of improved design, which landing cradle is preferably adjustable forwardly and rearwardly on the fuselage and carries landing wheels in such fashion that they are relieved of side thrust and the danger of having the tires stripped from the rims.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a landing cradle so designed that the chassis or truck may effectively be stream lined to form in effect an auxiliary lifting wing.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and eiiicient wheel Carrying lever between which lever and the body of the cradle shock absorbing devices may be placed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on a plane normal to the axis of one of the wheels.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on a plane thru the axis of the wheel.

The principal member of the cradle is a casting ll() having a central longitudinal groove 11 which receives snugly a guiding 30 member 12 which may be an integral portion of the fuselage 14. I prefer that the walls of the groove 11 shall be formed by integral flanges 15 rising from the casting 10, being sharp on the groove side and ta- 35 pering off as at 16 outwardly and downwardly. Against this curved portion 16 and covering the entire plane top surface 17 of the casting 10 is a fillet 18 preferably of rather thin sheet metal having the sole 40 function of stream lining the top of the casting and adding appreciably to the lift, the curve of the top surface of this metal piece 11 being generally similar to that of the upper surface of the wing.

At each side and near the edge the large casting 11 has integral downwardly extending flanges 20 which form the guiding and protecting recess in which the landing wheel castor or lever is received. The lever for 50 each landing wheel is in one piece prefer- 1930. Serial No. 448,297.

ably and is generally of the bell crank lever type, the short arms 24 of the lever extending downwardly and backwardly to receive the landing wheel axis 25 while the longer arms 26 extend rearwardly and in contact 55 with the proximate downturned flanges 20. The pivot 27 for the landing wheel levers is necessarily somewhat forwardly of the axis of the axle 25 when the airplane is resting upon the two landing wheels and the usual skid. At the rear the arms 26 are connected together by a transverse integral member 29 so that as viewed from the rear the landing wheel lever appears to be a channel having downwardly extending castor arms to receive the landing wheel axles.

The wing forming curved metal plate 18 and the outer edge of the casting 10 are cut away as at 30 to receive the diagonal brace 31 which has an integral bracket 32 70 by means of which the brace is thoroughly bolted to the outer flange 20. At its upper and outward end the brace 31 has an integral plate 33 which is slotted as at 34 to receive bolts or other fastening which adjustably secure the brace to the wing 35 of the airplane. This adjustment of the brace is necessary since the cradle as a whole can be moved with regard to the fuselage, affording a-very delicate means for balancing the plane.` My preferred method of securing this adjustable `mounting ofthe cradle on the fuselage is by providing a series of bolts 40 directly to the guide 12, the heads of these bolts resting against the S5 bottom surface of the casting 10.and the stems of the bolts rbeing received in rather small slots in the casting. The guide 12 has a dependent lug 42 tapped to receive a screw 43, one end of which has a connection with the casting 10 and the other or free end of which is squared as at 44 to receive a wrench or other turning tool.

The projection 45 which closes the front ofthe opening between the two flanges 20 95 in addition to strengthening the flanges serves to stream line this lportion of the device in order to reduce the wind friction. While I propose to use any form of shock absorbing device in connection with j my landing wheel levers I have shown a very simple form consisting of an elongated bolt 47 secured in the base plate of the truck casting 10 and received in a slot in the cross piece 29 of the lever. About the stem of the bolt 27 is positioned a helical spring, the lower end of which engages flat surface of the connecting piece 29 while the upper surface engages the plane vbottom face of the truck casting 10. It will be seen that in landing the spring 50 will be compressd and by virtue of the longl arm from the bolt 47 to the pivot 27 the resistance offered by this spring will be multiplied many times due to the relatively short horizontal distance between the pivot 27 and the axle 25. I can move the axis of the landing wheel shaft 25 as far back as I wish but the moving backward of this axle, while giving flexibility, naturally requires a heavier spring 50.

In order to prevent loss of the landing wheels 51, which are preferably of the design type as shown, I provide two short inwardly extending members 52 which extend close to but do not touch the disks of the wheels but effectively prevent loss of the wheels since the rim is of much greater width than the thickness laterally of the disk and in this Way I absolutely prevent loss of the wheel even shoud the axle become lost.

What I claim is:

l. In an airplane, a cradle having at one side a pair of vertical longitudinally extending guiding flanges, a landing wheel lever between said guiding flanges and pivoted thereto near the forward end of the flanges, said lever having aV pair of downwardly extending arms to receive the landing wheel and having rearwardly extending arms lying between and contiguous to the anges, a plate connecting the ends of said rearwardly extending arms, and a shock absorbing device between theV plate and the cradle.

2. In an airplane landing device, a inember having a longitudinally extending opening, a pivot at the front end of said opening, a bell crank landing wheellever secured at the crank angle to said pivot, said lever comprising two spaced parts integrally connected at one end to form the end of the longer arm of the' bell crank lever and a shock absorbing device between the connected ends and said member, the walls of said opening engaging and acting as a' guide for the said spaced parts.

3. In a landing device for airplanes, a pair of arms adapted to receive between thema disk type airplane landing wheel, and

longitudinal guide integral with its lower surface, a landing Cradle having a transverse groove for snugly receiving said guide, means for adjustably mounting the cradle on said guide, an upwardly and outwardly extending brace carried at each end of said cradle and having a slot at the upper end parallel to said guide for adjustably securing to the proximate wing.

5. In a landing device for airplanes, a pair of arms adapted to receive between them Van airplane landing wheel, and inwardly extending means on each arm havingtheir free ends located between the rim and hub of the wheel the distance between said free ends being less than the width of the rim, said means serving to retain the wheel between the arms should the wheel axle be broken or removed.

6. In an airplane, a landing cradle comprising a wing like member adapted to be connected to the under side of a fuselage, a pair of depending ianges extending transversely across each end of said member, each pair forming a channel, a pivot at the forward end of each channel, a bell crank landing wheel lever in each channel and each secured at the crank angle to one of said pivots, each lever having a horizontal portion extending rearwardly and engaging the flanges of its respective channel as guides, a shock absorbing device between the end of said portion and the web of the channel, and a pair of downwardly extending arms on each bell crank for supporting a wheel.

7. The device of claim l in which said shock absorbing device consists of an upright helical spring engaging said plate and a bolt thru saidplate and said spring for maintaining said engagement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

Lnwis J. TnTLow.

means extending inwardly from each arm terminating short of the disk of the wheel to prevent loss of the wheel should the wheel axle break or become lost. y

4. In an airplane, a fuselage having a 

